Lead Production Planner — Optimize Scheduling & ERP

Specialized Recruiting Group - Rochester Hills, Troy, & Clinton Twp, MI; Clinton Charter Township (MI); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job description

A growing custom, non-automotive manufacturer is seeking an experienced Production Planner to take an active role in planning and improving production from raw materials through manufacturing, packaging, and shipment.

This is more than maintaining an existing schedule. We're looking for someone who understands manufacturing, can evaluate capacity and changing priorities, and is comfortable identifying better ways to plan and manage production. You'll work directly with Operations leadership to help build a more standardized, efficient, and forward-thinking planning process.

If you enjoy being close to the manufacturing floor, solving production challenges, and improving the way work moves through a facility, this could be a great opportunity.

What You'll Do

• Develop and manage production schedules to support customer delivery commitments across multiple manufacturing operations.
• Plan production from raw material requirements through manufacturing, packaging, and shipment.
• Evaluate capacity, production priorities, material availability, and potential constraints when building and adjusting schedules.
• Monitor actual production against the schedule and identify issues that could impact customer deliveries.
• Adjust priorities and help develop recovery plans when production falls behind or unexpected issues arise.
• Work closely with Operations, Materials, Customer Service, and other departments to communicate priorities and keep production moving.
• Identify opportunities to improve scheduling, production flow, and planning processes rather than simply maintaining existing methods.
• Support the transition from manual scheduling and tribal knowledge to a more standardized, process-driven planning system.
• Utilize ERP systems and production data to improve visibility, capacity planning, and scheduling decisions.

What We're Looking For

• Strong experience in Production Planning, Production Scheduling, Manufacturing Planning, Production Control, or a similar manufacturing role.
• Experience building and managing production schedules within a manufacturing environment.
• Understanding of capacity planning, production constraints, material availability, and how work flows through multiple manufacturing operations.
• Ability to recognize potential schedule or delivery problems and proactively adjust plans and communicate across departments.
• A self-directed, curious approach with the ability to question existing processes, bring new ideas, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Comfortable spending time on the production floor and working directly with Operations to understand what's actually happening versus relying solely on system data.
• Experience working with Bills of Materials (BOMs), routings, or similar manufacturing documentation.
• ERP experience required. Epicor experience is helpful but not required.
• Strong Excel skills and comfort working with production data.

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

• Direct Hire
• Opportunity to take ownership of and improve the company's production planning and scheduling process
• Help build a more standardized approach to scheduling across the full manufacturing process
• Play a key role as the company transitions to Epicor ERP
• Work directly with Operations leadership and have a significant influence on how production is planned and managed
• Bring new ideas and help improve capacity planning, production flow, efficiency, and on-time delivery